Wild Rice and Beet Salad

If you’re not looking for a dairy-free side dish, try adding some ricotta salata or shaved Parmesan to this simple rice salad.
Slideshow: More Salads with Grains

If you’re not looking for a dairy-free side dish, try adding some ricotta salata or shaved Parmesan to this simple rice salad.
Slideshow: More Salads with Grains

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Ingredients

1 pound beets, scrubbed

Sea salt

1 cup wild rice

8 cups cold water

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup blanched almonds

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a shallow baking dish, arrange the beets in an even layer. Add enough water to submerge 1-inch of the beets. Season with salt. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the beets are fork tender, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to touch, remove the skins and cut the beets into wedges.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the rice with the water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the wild rice is tender but still chewy, about 1 hour. Drain the wild rice well.

Step 3

Toss the wild rice with the basil, balsamic, olive oil and almonds. Season with salt and serve.